WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: RSC Members Blast Number Two House Democrat for Harming American Families During Shutdown

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Democrat Minority Whip Katherine Clark admitted in an interview this week that her colleagues were using struggling American families as political leverage during the government shutdown. 

Members of the Republican Study Committee (RSC), the largest conservative caucus in the U.S. House, called out the Minority Whip for her degrading comments to the American people: 

RSC Chairman August Pfluger (TX-11): “This is unacceptable. Leveraging the well-being of hardworking Americans for political points is beyond disappointing. At least the Left is finally being honest about their intentions with this shutdown. Senate Democrats must open the government now.”

RSC Vice-Chair Ben Cline (VA-06): “For Whip Clark to admit that families will suffer, yet call it a source of leverage, is a shocking admission of the Democrats’ misplaced priorities. House Republicans are fighting to reopen the government and protect the American people, while Democrats seem more interested in scoring political points than solving problems.”

RSC Messaging Task Force Chair Mark Alford (MO-04): “Shameful. Democrats are now openly admitting they’re holding suffering American families hostage to achieve their left-wing policy goals with the #SchumerShutdown. They would rather fight President Trump than fight for YOU!”

RSC Budget and Spending Task Force Chair Beth Van Duyne (TX-24): “At least she’s being honest about it… Democrats would rather burden the American people to pay hundreds of billions of dollars for illegals to get healthcare than prevent the suffering of hardworking American families.”

RSC National Security Task Force Chair Zach Nunn (IA-03): “Democrats continue using American families as “leverage” in their shutdown gamesmanship. Shameful.”

Rep. Claudia Tenney (NY-24): “So the plan is to make families suffer because it’s a “good leverage moment”? And we’re the extreme ones? They don’t care about your paycheck. They don’t care about your safety. They don’t care about you, period. Pathetic.”

Rep. Randy Feenstra (IA-04): “Democrats are saying exactly what we've known all along. They shut down the government to advance their radical agenda of giving free healthcare to illegal immigrants and spending $1.5 trillion in taxpayer dollars. Democrats don't care how much their shutdown hurts Americans.”

Rep. Pat Harrigan (NC-10): “The number two House Democrat just looked Americans in the eye and said your family's suffering is worth it to protect illegal immigrant healthcare subsidies.”

Rep. Abe Hamadeh (AZ-08): “It's reprehensible to see top Democrats admit that they're willing to inflict pain on hardworking Americans to achieve their priorities. It's even worse when you consider those priorities are handouts to illegal immigrants & taxpayer-funded fake news.”

Rep. Brad Knott (NC-13): “In their own words, Democrats admit suffering families are an intentional point of leverage in the shutdown they designed. Shameful!”

Rep. Troy Downing (MT-02): “The #2 House Democrat caught saying the quiet part out loud. If you still think that Republicans are on the hook for this shutdown, please explain this.”

Rep. Julie Fedorchak (ND-AL): “Now you don't have to just take House Republicans’ word for it, you can hear it straight from Whip Clark! Democrats are using everyday Americans as "leverage" to advance their radical priorities.”

Rep. Randy Fine (FL-06): “You can’t make this up. Democrats are openly admitting on camera that families will suffer during their politically motivated government shutdown. Democrats hate America.”